Deportivo Recoleta claimed a 2-0 win over Deportivo Santani in the Round of 32 of the Copa Paraguay on Wednesday evening. The away side took control through two first-half strikes from F. Galeano and F. A. Echeguren Zarza, both coming before the interval. And here's the thing — Recoleta's performance stood in sharp contrast to their recent results, where they had lost four of their last five matches. Santani, by comparison, arrived with three consecutive victories and a superior goal difference.
Galeano opened the scoring in the 25th minute, capitalising on a moment of defensive uncertainty from the hosts. The visitors tightened things up at the back after that, and by then they were playing with more composure. Echeguren Zarza doubled the lead in the 43rd minute, and Recoleta saw it out without conceding anything meaningful after the break.
The statistics tell you nothing about the character of the match. Both sides registered 82 and 80 attacks respectively, with possession split evenly at 50-50. Recoleta managed five shots on target to Santani's two, and their finishing proved decisive. To be fair, Santani created more from set pieces with three corners, but they could not convert the pressure into a goal.
Santani's recent form included a 3-2 win over Benjamin Aceval and a 2-0 victory against Sportivo Carapegua, but this fixture exposed vulnerabilities they had not shown in those results. Recoleta's away record this season included heavy defeats to Boca Juniors, yet they dug in when it mattered. The result moves them into the next round while leaving Santani searching for answers.
